The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy maintains this blog to disseminate information relevant to astronomers who identify as women. If you have an idea for a blog post or topic, please submit to wia-blog at lists.aas.org.
The views expressed on this site are not necessarily the views of the CSWA, the AAS, its Board of Trustees, or its membership.

Image Credit: Wellcome Collection, Free to use with attribution, CC License1. Does Astronomy Education Research have a glass ceiling?From: Cristina Thomas via womeninastronomy.blogspot.comBy Saeed Salimpour and Michael Fitzgerald
The challenges associated with gender equity and equality have been the topic of much research over many decades. In the context of science, the issue of gender is even more pronounced, this is marked by efforts to engage more women in science, or more specifically STEM. However, the research has mostly centered around scientists and science research. This brief article highlights findings from a study which explored the issue of gender in the context of Astronomy Education Research (AER) - a rapidly growing field of research drawing in, not just astronomers, but also researchers from different fields, e.g., education, psychology, evaluation.
Read more at http://womeninastronomy.blogspot.com/2018/11/does-astronomy-education-research-have.htmlBack to top.2. Dreaming of Mars Since Age 13, Astronaut Abby Inspires Women in STEMFrom: Alessandra Aloisi [aloisi_at_stsci.edu]"By aiming for Mars, 21-year-old Abigail Harrison hopes to inspire young women on Earth to pursue their own dreams.
Harrison, also known as Astronaut Abby, serves as an advocate for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and has been publicly aspiring to be the first person to visit Mars since she was 13 years old. Ahead of National STEM Day (Nov. 8), she talked with Space.com about college life, role models and, as she put it, dipping one's feet into the solar system."
Read more at https://www.space.com/42379-national-stem-day-astronaut-abby.htmlBack to top.3. Caroline Herschel Prize LectureFrom: Fran Bagenal [bagenal_at_lasp.colorado.edu]The first Caroline Herschel Prize Lecture will be given by Sarah Rugheimer (Oxford University)
“Hues of Habitability: Characterizing Pale Blue Dots around Other Stars” 7-8.30pm Wednesday 21 Nov. 2018 East Building Lecture Theater, University of Bath http://www.williamherschel.org.uk/caroline-herschel-prize-lectureship
Support the Caroline Herschel Prize by donating here: http://www.williamherschel.org.uk/donation-to-the-charityBack to top.4. Scientists to write Wikipedia biographies of women in STEMFrom: Nicolle Zellner [nzellner_at_albion.edu]Biographies about women on Wikipedia account for just 17% of entries. Now, however, scholars who take a professional development course are learning how to "close that gap".
Read more at https://wikiedu.org/blog/2018/11/08/scientists-to-write-wikipedia-biographies-of-women-in-stemBack to top.5. Why diversity helps to produce stronger researchFrom: Alessandra Aloisi [aloisi_at_stsci.edu]“Gender diversity in the research environment can drive scientific discovery, but, to fully realize the potential for innovation, inclusivity must be cultivated at multiple levels — from the research team to society, suggests a Perspective in Nature Human Behaviour (M. W. Nielsen et al. Nature Hum. Behav. 2, 726–734; 2018).”
Read more at https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07415-9Back to top.6. Plugging the leaky pipeline for UK female chemistsFrom: Alessandra Aloisi [aloisi_at_stsci.edu]"The eminent Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in Cambridge, an association for chemical researchers in the United Kingdom, aims to plug the ‘leaky pipeline’ of women in academia. Compared with other scientific disciplines, this is a particular problem in chemistry. The society’s plan is to help more female chemists to remain in the enterprise and to progress to senior positions."
Read more at https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07425-7Back to top.7. Are you a scientist?From: Alessandra Aloisi [aloisi_at_stsci.edu]"It is 34 years almost to the day since I walked into Imperial College as an undergraduate student of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the tender age of 19.
What that first day involved was sitting in a lecture theatre with overwhelmingly white, male and privately-educated peers to learn “our” college song in an atmosphere which I now recognise as a public school debating society. Having grown up in the socialist state of Newcastle upon Tyne, I was annoyed, a little intimidated but not daunted."
Read more at https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/science-and-technology/are-you-a-scientistBack to top.8. Positive Parenting: Drawing Girl Power in the SciencesFrom: Alessandra Aloisi [aloisi_at_stsci.edu]“American women have been gaining ground in science fields since the 1960’s and new research suggests stereotypes surrounding people working in science is changing, especially among kids.”
Read more at http://www.wtvm.com/2018/11/13/positive-parenting-drawing-girl-power-sciencesBack to top.9. Betsy Devos to Allow Those Accused of Sexual Assault to Cross-examine Alleged Victims with New GuidelinesFrom: JoEllen McBride [joellen.mcbride_at_gmail.com]By Alexandra Hutzler
"Guidelines on how to handle allegations of sexual assault for colleges and universities are about to be overhauled in the latest proposal from Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
The proposal will give new rights to the people who are accused of the crimes, including the right to cross-examine their accusers, sources familiar with the situation told The Washington Post for a report published Wednesday."
Read more at https://www.newsweek.com/betsy-devos-sexual-assault-guidelines-education-1215609Back to top.10. Can A TV Comedy Show Change The Game For Women In Tech?From: Maria Patterson [maria.t.patterson_at_gmail.com]'Makeshift Society' is a new show centered on a female startup founder. "The show’s plot and characters are based on the experiences of real women in tech, who understand first hand what Silicon Valley’s bro culture is like, and the difficulties of going at it alone as a woman in that world...The project’s whole team is actively working to change cultural perceptions of women in tech at scale. 'There's a pent-up hunger for authentic stories about women in tech', explains [creator] Judy Loehr, 'I'm looking forward to watching Makeshift Society, and I'm also motivated to change the stereotype of what a founder looks like so we can broaden the lens that VCs use when evaluating female founders.'"
Read more at https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccavogels/2018/11/08/can-a-tv-comedy-show-change-the-game-for-women-in-tech/#671467d47ba5Back to top.11. Job OpportunitiesFor those interested in increasing excellence and diversity in theirorganizations, a list of resources and advice is here:https://cswa.aas.org/diversity.html#howtoincrease- Tenure-track Faculty Position in Astronomy, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH https://jobregister.aas.org/ad/d292e1d6
- Lecturer in Physics & Astronomy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY https://www.higheredjobs.com/search/details.cfm?JobCode=176859263&Title=Lecturer%20Job%20ID%2010281
- Postdoctoral researcher in Exoplanets, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY https://uwyo.taleo.net/careersection/00_ex/jobdetail.ftl?job=18000009
- Tenure Track Assistant Professor - Physics, California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA http://csucareers.calstate.edu/Detail.aspx?pid=71182&fbclid=IwAR3U-_1WddvIt7CbR36LT-_tW3k6Ch24nfdxBch1v9lFCAcK-cYgzkQwOPk
- McGill Space Institute Postdoctoral Fellowships https://msi.mcgill.ca/index.php?page=employment-opportunities-and-fellowshipsBack to top.12. How to Submit to the AASWOMEN newsletterTo submit an item to the AASWOMEN newsletter, including replies to topics, send email to aaswomen_at_aas.org
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When submitting a job posting for inclusion in the newsletter, please include a one-line description and a link to the full job posting.
Please remember to replace "_at_" in the e-mail address above. Back to top.13. How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe to the AASWOMEN newsletterJoin AAS Women List by email:
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Google Groups Subscribe Help: http://support.google.com/groups/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=46606Back to top.14. Access to Past Issueshttps://cswa.aas.org/AASWOMEN.html
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